Alamelu’s Chettinad meen kuzhambu, Chettinad Fish Curry, Chettinad Meen Curry. Tamilnadu Chettinad Vanjaram Meen Kuzhambu / Fish Curry Recipe from a Karaikudi Kitchen.
Food brings really good memories. Its those memories that brings back the smile. We lived in San Diego for quite a while and had this curry at a friends place for lunch. I was not a great fish curry fan until I tasted this recipe. I was just blown over. I had seconds, shamelessly even thirds. I just begged my friend Alamelu Annamalai for the recipe. I wouldn’t let her go until I made her write it. She not only shared the recipe but also packed the leftover fish curry to go. I had a happy fish curry overdose that day. Thank you so much Alamu for all the good memories and the wonderful Chettinad fish curry. She hails from Karaikudi and this fish curry is the ultimate fish curry I have ever tasted. You have got to try this to believe me. Lets go make a rock-star Sunday lunch! Shall we?
Heads Up – There is a lot of peeling involved. Alamelu-The Chettinad girl insists that this curry be made with shallots only and not to be substituted with red onions. And she is right. Shallots does make all the difference to the fish curry.
Here is the video of the recipe.
Heat oil in a heavy pan and add in the cumin seeds, pepper and fennel seeds. Let it splutter. It will foam a little because of the sesame oil. Its fine. Add in the shallots and the garlic. Fry till the shallots become tender and starts to change color. About 5-8 minutes. Add in the chopped tomatoes and fry for a couple of minutes. Add in the shredded coconut and remove from heat. Cool briefly and grind to a very smooth paste. Add up to 1.5 cups of water while grinding. Set aside.
Heat oil in a pan until shimmering. Add in the fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and curry leaves. Let it crackle. Reduce the flame to low and add in the Chettinadu masala paste and coarse salt. Fry for 3-4 minutes on medium flame until raw smell goes. Add the coriander powder and the red chilli powder. Add in the tamarind pulp, green chillies and about 1.5 cups water. Let the consistency of the curry be thin. Cook in low flame for about 20 minutes until the curry becomes thick. Check for seasoning of salt. Add more salt if necessary.
Add in the fish pieces and cook for 5 minutes. Switch off the flame and garnish with cilantro/coriander leaves.
For the Chettinad Masala
- 4 tablespoon Indian Sesame / gingely Oil
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon black Pepper
- 2 cups shallots
- 10 cloves garlic
- 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
For the Curry
- 2 Tablespoon Indian Sesame Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 heaped tablespoon coriander powder
- 2 tablespoon red chilli powder
- 2 green chillies
- 1 lime size tamarind
- 1 cup water to soak tamarind
- 2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 sprig coriander leaves
- 1/2 kg fish steaks
- Heat oil in a heavy pan and add in the cumin seeds, pepper and fennel seeds. Let it splutter. It will foam a little because of the sesame oil. Its fine.
- Add in the shallots and the garlic.
- Fry till the shallots become tender and starts to change color. About 5-8 minutes.
- Add in the chopped tomatoes and fry for a couple of minutes. Add in the shredded coconut and remove from heat. Cool briefly and grind to a very smooth paste. Add upto 1.5 cups of water while grinding. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan until shimmering. Add in the fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and curry leaves. Let it splutter. Reduce the flame to low and add in the chettinad masala paste and coarse salt. Fry for 3-4 minutes on medium flame until raw smell goes.
- Add the coriander powder and the red chilli powder. Add in the tamarind pulp, green chillies and about 1.5 cups water. Let the consistency of the curry be thin.
- Cook in low flame for about 20 minutes until the curry becomes thick. Check for seasoning of salt. Add more salt if necessary.
- Add in the fish pieces and cook for 5 minutes more.
- Switch off the flame and garnish with cilantro/coriander leaves
Notes
It can be stored in the refrigerator for upto 2 days. The curry is traditionally made with seer fish aka vanjaram meen. I always use Idhayam brand gingely oil . Also called as nallennai in tamil.
- Author: kannamma @kannammacooks.com
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Non-Veg
- Cuisine: South Indian
For the Chettinad Masala
- 4 tablespoon Indian Sesame / gingely Oil
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon black Pepper
- 2 cups shallots
- 10 cloves garlic
- 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
For the Curry
- 2 Tablespoon Indian Sesame Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 heaped tablespoon coriander powder
- 2 tablespoon red chilli powder
- 2 green chillies
- 1 lime size tamarind
- 1 cup water to soak tamarind
- 2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 sprig coriander leaves
- 1/2 kg fish steaks
- Heat oil in a heavy pan and add in the cumin seeds, pepper and fennel seeds. Let it splutter. It will foam a little because of the sesame oil. Its fine.
- Add in the shallots and the garlic.
- Fry till the shallots become tender and starts to change color. About 5-8 minutes.
- Add in the chopped tomatoes and fry for a couple of minutes. Add in the shredded coconut and remove from heat. Cool briefly and grind to a very smooth paste. Add upto 1.5 cups of water while grinding. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan until shimmering. Add in the fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and curry leaves. Let it splutter. Reduce the flame to low and add in the chettinad masala paste and coarse salt. Fry for 3-4 minutes on medium flame until raw smell goes.
- Add the coriander powder and the red chilli powder. Add in the tamarind pulp, green chillies and about 1.5 cups water. Let the consistency of the curry be thin.
- Cook in low flame for about 20 minutes until the curry becomes thick. Check for seasoning of salt. Add more salt if necessary.
- Add in the fish pieces and cook for 5 minutes more.
- Switch off the flame and garnish with cilantro/coriander leaves
Notes
It can be stored in the refrigerator for upto 2 days. The curry is traditionally made with seer fish aka vanjaram meen. I always use Idhayam brand gingely oil . Also called as nallennai in tamil.
- Author: kannamma @kannammacooks.com
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Non-Veg
- Cuisine: South Indian
Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/alamelus-authentic-chettinad-fish-meen-kuzhambu-curry/
Manjal poosanikai sambar / Pumpkin and lentil Sambar (Vegan)
Tamilnadu style manjal poosanikai / yellow pumpkin sambar recipe made with toor dal .
As a south indian nothing satisfies me like a good sambar.
Yellow pumpkin is called as manjal poosanikai in Tamil. This sambar is a staple in my house. It makes for a simple, healthy and a very satisfying meal.
Lets dive into making Sambar. Shall we?
Cut the pumpkin into half. De-seed the pumpkin and peel the outer skin. Dice the pumpkin into cubes and boil it with water until soft and keep aside. Do not discard the water used for boiling. Use the water to soak the tamarind.
Boil half a cup of toor-dal with 2 – 2.5 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes. Reserve the excess water. Do not discard. If not using pressure cooker, soak the Dal for an hour in water and boil it in a heavy pan with a closed lid for 45 minutes or more until the lentils are soft.
Here is the recipe for home made sambar powder.
OK, a good sambar powder is very very essential for a good sambar. You can make your own sambar powder but I like the taste of this particular store bought masala and I use it for the sake of convenience. I am from Coimbatore, Tamilnadu and I like Tamil style sambar. So the only Sambar powder that I use is Sakthi brand Sambar powder which comes from Tamilnadu and works extremely well. Sakthi masala doesnt pay me a penny for endorsing this product. My American friends can find it in indian stores near you. I do not like the flavor of any other sambar powders that are in the market.
We always use sesame oil most of the time in south indian cooking. Its called as நல்ல எண்ணெய் (Nalla ennai) in Tamil which literally translates as Good Oil. So its sesame oil in my kitchen for sambar. Heat sesame oil in a pan until shimmering. Add in the mustard seeds, Urad-dal, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Let it splutter. Add in the Onions and saute till soft and translucent in medium flame. Roughly about 3-4 minutes. Then add in the tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are soft. Roughly about a couple of minutes. Add in the tamarind pulp. Add in the salt, asafoetida, sambar powder and turmeric. Let it simmer for 10 minutes in low flame. Simmering helps in cooking the masala powders and the tamarind to cook completely. Now add in the boiled pumpkin and the boiled toor dal. If the consistency is too thick, add in the reserved left over water from the Dal. Let it simmer for another couple of minutes. Add in the coriander leaves/cilantro. Remove from heat and serve it hot with rice.
- 1/2 kg pumpkin
- 1/2 cup toor dal
- 1 tablespoon Sesame/Gingely oil
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon urad dal
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 inch round tamarind piece
- 1 tablespoon sambar powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sprigs coriander leaves/cilantro
- Cut the pumpkin into half. De-seed the pumpkin and peel the outer skin. Dice the pumpkin into cubes and boil it with water until soft and keep aside. Do not discard the water used for boiling. Use the water to soak the tamarind.
- Boil half a cup of toor-dal with 2 – 2.5 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes. Reserve the excess water. Do not discard. If not using pressure cooker, soak the Dal for an hour in water and boil it in a heavy pan with a closed lid for 45 minutes or more until the lentils are soft.
- Heat sesame oil in a pan until shimmering.
- Add in the mustard seeds, Urad-dal, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Let it splutter.
- Add in the Onions and saute till soft and translucent in medium flame. Roughly about 3-4 minutes.
- Then add in the tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are soft. Roughly about a couple of minutes.
- Add in the tamarind pulp.
- Add in the salt, asafoetida, sambar powder and turmeric. Let it simmer for 10 minutes in low flame. Simmering helps in cooking the masala powders and the tamarind to cook completely.
- Now add in the boiled pumpkin and the boiled toor dal. If the consistency is too thick, add in the reserved left over water from the Dal.
- Let it simmer for another couple of minutes.
- Add in the coriander leaves/cilantro.
- Remove from heat and serve it hot with rice.
Notes
You can use other vegetables instead of pumpkin like carrots, radish, white pumpkin, drumstick.
- Author: kannamma @kannammacooks.com
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Dal / Lentil Dishes
- Cuisine: South Indian
